Early screening for liver cirrhosis: seize the golden opportunity for treatment!

Cirrhosis is a very threatening liver disease. Its early symptoms may not be obvious, but once ignored, the consequences are disastrous. Early screening for cirrhosis allows us to detect problems at the beginning of the disease, seize the golden opportunity for treatment, build a strong defense line for liver health, and take an important step to protect the liver and fight cirrhosis. Now, let us explore the early screening and treatment of cirrhosis together.

1. Understanding cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a chronic progressive liver disease caused by a variety of reasons. Its development process is relatively slow and difficult to detect in the early stage. However, as the disease progresses, a series of serious complications such as hepatic encephalopathy, esophageal varicose vein bleeding, ascites, etc. will gradually appear, seriously threatening the life and health of patients. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune liver disease, long-term heavy drinking, viral hepatitis such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C are all common risk factors for cirrhosis.

2. The harm of liver cirrhosis

Cirrhosis of the liver can have a serious impact on the liver function of the human body, damaging the normal metabolism, synthesis, and detoxification functions of the liver. The reduced ability to metabolize bilirubin can easily cause jaundice symptoms such as yellowing of the sclera and skin. The reduced ability to synthesize protein can lead to hypoproteinemia, causing ascites, edema, etc. The toxins in the body cannot be removed in time due to the weakening of the detoxification function, which can also damage various organs of the body. Cirrhosis of the liver is also prone to cause serious complications. Hepatic encephalopathy can cause patients to have impaired consciousness; ruptured and bleeding esophageal varicose veins can cause black stools and a large amount of vomiting blood, which is life-threatening; ascites can cause patients to have difficulty breathing and abdominal distension. In addition, symptoms such as abdominal distension and loss of appetite can reduce the quality of life of patients and affect their daily work and life. Long-term treatment and regular follow-up will also bring economic and psychological burdens to patients. Finally, if cirrhosis is not treated in time, it may develop into liver failure or liver cancer, increasing the risk of death.

3. Early symptoms of cirrhosis

3.1 Loss of appetite

The decreased function of the liver to secrete bile will affect the patient's normal digestion and absorption of food, resulting in decreased food intake, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, etc.

3.2 Fatigue

The patient's metabolism is prone to disorder due to liver damage, which makes the body unable to obtain sufficient energy supply, and may cause inexplicable fatigue, which is difficult to relieve even with rest.

3.3 Abdominal distension

Liver lesions can easily cause patients to suffer from poor digestion, gastrointestinal congestion and other conditions, which can manifest as a slight feeling of fullness in the abdomen.

3.4 Skin changes

Cirrhosis can also affect the metabolism of hormones in the body, causing pigmentation, rough skin, dull complexion, etc.

3.5 Dull pain in the right upper abdomen

Some patients also have symptoms of dull pain in the right upper abdomen. Because this pain is mild, it is easily mistaken for ordinary abdominal pain.

4. Early screening methods for liver cirrhosis

4.1 Medical history and physical examination

The doctor will ask detailed questions about the patient's medical history, such as medication use, long-term drinking, and whether or not there is viral hepatitis. The doctor will also conduct a physical examination to check whether the patient's abdomen is tender or swollen, and whether the sclera or skin is yellow.

4.2 Laboratory tests

Liver function tests can understand the functional status and degree of damage of the patient's liver. Usually, indicators such as albumin, bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are checked. In the early stage of cirrhosis, only some indicators such as slightly elevated bilirubin and decreased albumin may be abnormal. Coagulation dysfunction is also prone to occur in the early stage of cirrhosis. Doctors can understand the coagulation function of patients by checking coagulation function-related indicators such as the international normalized ratio (INR) and prothrombin time (PT). Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a tumor marker. Patients with cirrhosis may not necessarily have elevated AFP, but alpha-fetoprotein tests and attention to changes in AFP can alert them to the occurrence of liver cancer.

4.3 Imaging examination

Increased liver hardness is an important manifestation of cirrhosis. Doctors can measure the patient's liver hardness by measuring liver elasticity. This examination method has the advantages of good repeatability, rapidity, and non-invasiveness. Abdominal ultrasound has a high sensitivity for early detection of cirrhosis and is an important means of screening for cirrhosis. Doctors can use ultrasound to observe the blood flow, texture, morphology, size, etc. of the liver. Early cirrhosis usually shows structural disorder in the liver, increased echoes, and rough liver surface. After ultrasound examination, if the patient cannot be clearly diagnosed, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT examination can be used to show a clearer liver structure and morphology and to detect some tiny lesions, but this examination method has a certain amount of radiation and is relatively expensive.

Treatment of early cirrhosis

5.1 Treatment of etiology

If the patient's cirrhosis is caused by viral hepatitis, antiviral treatment can be used to delay the progression of cirrhosis and reduce the risk of liver cancer. Antiviral drugs such as tenofovir and entecavir can be used to treat hepatitis B, and drugs such as velpatasvir and sofosbuvir can be used to treat hepatitis C. If the cause of the patient's disease is long-term heavy drinking, strict abstinence should be used to promote the repair and regeneration of liver cells and reduce the burden on the liver. Weight loss, increased exercise, and diet control can also be used to improve liver fatty degeneration in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and delay the development of cirrhosis.

5.2 Liver protection therapy

Liver protection drugs such as silybin and polyene phosphatidylcholine can be used to reduce liver damage and protect liver cells. Although taking these drugs can relieve symptoms and improve liver function, they do not have the effect of reversing the progression of cirrhosis.

5.3 Antifibrotic therapy

There is no specific anti-fibrosis drug, but some studies have shown that colchicine and vitamin E may have anti-fibrosis effects. In addition, Chinese medicines such as Anluo Huaxian Pills and Fufang Biejia Ruangan Tablets also have a certain inhibitory effect on the progression of liver fibrosis.

5.4 Lifestyle Adjustment

Patients should control their food intake, avoid overeating, reduce the burden on the liver, follow the dietary principles of high vitamins, high protein, low fat and low salt, avoid eating irritating, greasy and spicy foods, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, ensure adequate sleep to promote the repair and regeneration of liver cells, pay attention to rest, avoid excessive fatigue, and develop good living habits. Excessive drinking and smoking will aggravate liver damage. Patients should strictly quit smoking and limit alcohol to protect their livers. Appropriate exercise can improve immunity and enhance physical fitness. Patients can choose appropriate exercise methods based on their physical conditions, such as yoga, Tai Chi, walking, etc., but avoid excessive exercise.

6. Seize the advantage of golden treatment opportunity

The treatment of cirrhosis in the early stages is very important, because the damage to the liver during this period is still relatively mild and is reversible to a certain extent. If patients discover the disease in time and actively start treatment, it can not only delay the progression of the disease, but may even reverse cirrhosis. Once the disease is delayed to the late stage, it is not only prone to serious complications, but also greatly increases the difficulty of treatment and reduces the patient's prognosis. Therefore, we must attach great importance to the early screening of cirrhosis and conduct regular physical examinations in order to detect cirrhosis early and seize the golden opportunity for treatment.

In short, cirrhosis can cause serious harm to the human body, but through early screening and timely treatment, we can effectively control the disease, improve the patient's quality of life, and prolong the patient's life. Let us pay attention to liver health, actively carry out early screening and prevention, and protect our own life and health.

【Image source: Baidu】